Depicting Gendered Violence

Helen Burgos-Ellis reflects on how the sculpture powerfully depicts gendered violence, noting the placement of bloody daggers as symbolic weapons of harm. She emphasizes that sexual violence is not about love or attraction—it is a crime. The piece contrasts named male perpetrators with anonymous female victims, challenging viewers to center the identities of the victims. Through this visual "Roulette of Death," the artwork becomes a call to remember the victims through the Tree of Life, transforming the narrative from violence to remembrance and justice.

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    PERSON

  • Close up on Helen Burgos Ellis smiling

    Helen

    Burgos-Ellis

    Art Historian and Lecturer

    César E. Chávez Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies, University of California, Los Angeles